Research Unit

Transdisciplinarity

Transdisciplinarity is essential for transformation-oriented sustainability research because the complex challenges associated with social-ecological transformations cannot be solved within the boundaries of individual disciplines. These challenges require the collaboration of natural, social, and engineering sciences and the humanities, as well as of actors from politics, business, and civil society.

In the Research Unit “Transdisciplinarity” we aim to further develop methods and concepts of transdisciplinary research and to promote their establishment. We focus on conceptual and theoretical foundations, empirical applications, and science policy issues with the aim of ensuring the quality and effectiveness of transdisciplinary research and strengthening its societal relevance.

Our research focuses on three research strands:

Quality assurance in transdisciplinary cooperation

Classic evaluations and quality assurance procedures do not sufficiently take into account the diversity of transdisciplinary research. Our research focuses on the development of quality criteria for good transdisciplinary practice. We examine relevant criteria for researchers, funders, and societal actors worldwide, also taking into account power relations, justice, knowledge transfer, and the risks and potentials of digitalization and artificial intelligence.

Societal impacts of transdisciplinary research

Effectiveness is central to transdisciplinary research that shapes societal learning processes beyond the level of project research. We investigate how impulses for change emerging from transdisciplinary processes contribute to comprehensive transformations and how societal impacts can be captured. In order to explore and experience change, we also use our impact research to analyze how research and experimental spaces interact.

Transformation of the science system

To better establish transdisciplinary research within the science system, we investigate its impact on traditionally discipline-oriented scientific findings, researchers and institutions. We analyze how research institutions and funding organizations can integrate transdisciplinary research into their structures and incentive systems in order to promote excellent and societally relevant research. We discuss our findings in networks and with partners in order to advance the transformation of the science system.

Contact

Team

Projects

  • Transdisciplinarity in biodiversity research
    Biodiversity

    Transdisciplinarity in biodiversity research

    The project is developing new approaches to comprehensively research biodiversity, ecosystem services and human interventions on ecosystems.

    Go to Project
  • Platform tdAcademy for transdisciplinary research and studies
    Knowledge and Participation

    Platform tdAcademy for transdisciplinary research and studies

    The tdAcademy platform promotes transdisciplinary research by generating knowledge for its effective design, evaluating new methods and formats and offering an international fellowship program.

    Go to Project
  • Training scientists for transdisciplinary research
    Knowledge and Participation Transformation

    Training scientists for transdisciplinary research

    In September, 2024 ISOE was commissioned by the Austrian Science Fund FWF to offer scientists training in transdisciplinary research.

    Go to Project
  • DINA – Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas
    Biodiversity

    DINA – Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas

    The aim of DINA is to test standardized monitoring of flying insects and to analyse factors that correlate with the drastic decline of insects in nature reserves. 

    Go to Project
  • Dilemmas of sustainability – Meta-criteria for sustainability
    Knowledge and Participation

    Dilemmas of sustainability – Meta-criteria for sustainability

    The project sheds light on the dilemmas of sustainability that arise from incompatible goals, interests and types of knowledge and develops guidelines for sound sustainability knowledge.

    Go to Project
  • s:ne – System Innovation for Sustainable Development
    Knowledge and Participation Transformation

    s:ne – System Innovation for Sustainable Development

    The central element of the s:ne transfer project is an innovation and transformation platform (ITP), which aims to facilitate cooperation with political, social and economic players as well as research institutions in the region.

    Go to Project
  • Transdisciplinarity in climate change adaptation research
    Knowledge and Participation

    Transdisciplinarity in climate change adaptation research

    Research findings must be combined with impulses for social change processes. In a study, ISOE explores transdisciplinarity as a research mode in the complex field of climate adaptation.

    Go to Project
  • LIRA 2030 – Fostering Transdisciplinarity in Africa
    Knowledge and Participation

    LIRA 2030 – Fostering Transdisciplinarity in Africa

    The program aims to promote the capacities of young scientists in Africa for transdisciplinary research and to support scientific contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Go to Project
  • Societal impacts of research institutions: ARL Effectiveness Study
    Abstraktes Bild, Luftaufnahme Platz mit Menschen, die durch Linien verbunden sind
    Knowledge and Participation

    Societal impacts of research institutions: ARL Effectiveness Study

    The ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association works in an inter- and transdisciplinary manner. Our study highlights the added value of this approach.

    Go to Project
  • Knowledge transfer of the results of basic scientific research
    Knowledge and Participation

    Knowledge transfer of the results of basic scientific research

    The project identifies transfer potential within the framework of research at the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. Taking into account the knowledge needs of target groups, transfer products are identified and designed in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders.

    Go to Project
  • TransImpact – Effective Transdisciplinary Research
    Knowledge and Participation

    TransImpact – Effective Transdisciplinary Research

    The TransImpact project analyzes how and with which methods transdisciplinary research can achieve the desired social and scientific effects.

    Go to Project
  • Accompanying research for ‘Real-World Laboratories’ in Baden-Württemberg
    Knowledge and Participation

    Accompanying research for ‘Real-World Laboratories’ in Baden-Württemberg

    A consortium consisting of Leuphana University Lüneburg, ISOE and the Wuppertal Institute is carrying out the accompanying research for seven existing real-world laboratories in Baden-Württemberg.

    Go to Project
  • Scientific coordination of the funding initiative „An environmentally and socially compatible transformation of the German energy system”
    Sufficiency

    Scientific coordination of the funding initiative „An environmentally and socially compatible transformation of the German energy system”

    Since 2013 a total of 33 collaborative research projects are dealing with various aspects of an “Environmentally and socially compatible transformation of the German energy system”. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has included this initiative into the funding priority Social-Ecological Research (SÖF) and has assigned the Öko-Institut together with the ISOE with the coordination of the funding initiative.
    Go to Project
  • IMPACT – Corporate Social Responsibility in the EU
    Transformation

    IMPACT – Corporate Social Responsibility in the EU

    In IMPACT, 16 European research facilities are investigating how corporate social responsibility activities (CSR) contribute to the goals of the EU.
    Go to Project
  • Meta-Analysis of Gender and Research in Europe
    Transformation

    Meta-Analysis of Gender and Research in Europe

    A meta-analysis was used to collect existing pieces of research on scientific gender studies in Europe and establish research needs.
    Go to Project
  • Transdisciplinary Cognitive Integration

    Transdisciplinary Cognitive Integration

    Scientific staff at ISOE developed the Social Ecology research programme, and, after a process of critical reflection, published the results as a book.

    Go to Project
  • Knowledge Communication

    Knowledge Communication

    In the "Knowledge Communication" project, the team developed an essential basis for the effective and target-group-related communication of scientific findings at ISOE.
    Go to Project
  • Support for the Projects for Sustainable Economies

    Support for the Projects for Sustainable Economies

    ISOE provided support for the “Regional Approaches to Sustainable Economic Development” initiative funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research.
    Go to Project
  • Exploratory Studies on SÖF

    Exploratory Studies on SÖF

    The first phase of the "Social Ecological Research" (SÖF) funding programme of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) was concerned first and foremost with conducting exploratory studies. Innovative approaches from these studies were identified and collated for the funding programme. The interdisciplinary project group did a systematic evaluation of the findings from the exploratory projects in order to develop the funding programme further.
    Go to Project
  • Optimisation of the T-Net-Box

    Optimisation of the T-Net-Box

    On behalf of Deutsche Telekom, ISOE looked at ways of optimising the T-Net Box and its marketing. For this, existing and potential users were surveyed in intensive interviews. The Deutsche Telekom T-Net Box is a virtual net-based answering machine (with a PIN) that can be listened to, operated and configured from any telephone.
    Go to Project
  • Concept for the Framework Programme "Social-ecological Research" SÖF

    Concept for the Framework Programme "Social-ecological Research" SÖF

    The intention was to supplement the BMBF "Research for the Environment" programme with a new funding programme by the name of 'Social-Ecological Research". ISOE was commissioned to devise the conceptual framework. On this basis, 2000 saw the start of the 10-year funding period for all three funding programmes in three areas (integrated research, infrastructure funding, and the promotion of young scientists). It was the aim of this particular funding programme to strengthen Germany's expertise in social-ecological research and thus – taking special account of the potential available at non-university, independent research institutes – in transdisciplinary environmental and sustainability research as a whole.
    Go to Project
  • Forecasts of Social-Ecological Transformations

    Forecasts of Social-Ecological Transformations

    In the exploratory study, links between society, the supply system and Nature were examined. Scientists looked at how the uncertainty involved in forecasting complex interrelations could be reduced through the use of suitable models. In the modern water supply system, for example, natural and social processes are closely interwoven; in the language of physics, one would say they are "strongly coupled": for instance ecologically motivated savings by consumers, the falling away of water-intensive industries, or capacity problems in supply networks due to demographic change. Models can prove helpful in dealing with couplings of this kind.
    Go to Project
  • Scientific Back-Up for the Research Project EPSECC

    Scientific Back-Up for the Research Project EPSECC

    On behalf of the Öko-Institut Freiburg, ISOE examined which social groups have so far been excluded from climate protection policy. Background was the research project Environmental Policy, Social Exclusion and Climate Change (EPSECC).
    Go to Project
  • Social Dimensions of Sustainability

    Social Dimensions of Sustainability

    ISOE developed perspectives for the further specification and operationalisation of the social dimension of sustainability. To this end, scientists identified five core elements to be monitored. The team subsequently formulated rules for social sustainability. For each core element, they proposed a set of indicators to describe the respective stages of social (non-)sustainability achieved.
    Go to Project
  • Sustainability as a Concept in the Social Sciences

    Sustainability as a Concept in the Social Sciences

    In this project, representatives from 11 countries contributed jointly on the concept of sustainability in the social sciences. The aim was to initiate an international process of discussion and reflection. One aspect concerned how to go about formulating sustainability as a viable, transdisciplinary social science concept. The other main concern was the extent of reorientation required in the social sciences in order to conduct interdisciplinary, problem- and actor-related sustainability research.
    Go to Project

Publications

Go to Publication Database